Necromancer
by Xandrolar1
Summary: A deadly weapon, a trick by an old enemy, Will Arthur and Merlin's friendship survive? Part one of a challange fic - wrote for The Darkness Of Your Fall - Hope you enjoy chapter 1 :D Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Necromancer

The storm clouds were slowly gathering overhead, the sky becoming grey and dark. Far away, thunder rumbled, but it was not raining, yet at any rate. The small brook where the two men had stopped to water their horses was situated near the borders to Brayards kingdom, where they had travelled to following rumours of sightings of Brayards men encroaching on Camelot's soil. And it had been, for the most part a fruitless exercise. A fact that Arthur Pendragon was inherently pleased about. Brayard had, after the tense negotiations all those years ago, kept to his word and had become one of the greatest allies of Uther and Camelot, and Arthur had despaired when he'd gotten wind of the rumours.

Arthur was sat around the fire Merlin had set up to keep them warm in the mouth of a small cave, Arthur watching as Merlin tended to the horse be the small brook. Above them thunder sounded again, both men looking up at the sky, Arthur looking back at Merlin a moment later, watching as he calmed the horses. Outside the cave large splatters of rain began to fall.

"Come on Merlin, tie off the horses before you get soaked!" Arthur called over to him from the cave. Merlin looked back at him as he led the horses to a sturdy looking tree, before quickly tying them off.

"Are you worrying about me again?" asked Merlin as he entered the cave, and not a moment too soon as the heavens chose that moment to open up full force. Arthur shook his head at him.

"Not really, I just don't want to spend all night smelling wet servant" he replied.

"One day Arthur, you know I might be gone and you'll realise how much you appreciate me" Merlin replied with a laugh.

"Why? you thinking of leaving?" Arthur asked in return. Merlin grinned and shook his head.

"and why would I do that?" he asked, then looked out at the pouring rain. "Especially when it's like that out there" he added. Arthur nodded in agreement.

"Yes, if you did go out in that, you'd probably end up drowned in a pool somewhere without me to save you" he added. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I would not, besides I can swim you know" he retorted as he set to making dinner.

"Would"

"Would not"

"Would"

"Would not"

"Merlin"

"Would not"

"Shut up" Arthur said. Merlin gave a cheeky grin as he hung a small pot above the fire. The two fell into comfortable silence, Arthur finally pulling free the sword he had recently pulled from the stone, examining it's intricate markings.

"Merlin, In that story, the one about this sword," Arthur began. Merlin looked over at him.

"What about it?"

"Did the sword have a name?" Arthur asked, not taking his eyes from it. Merlin stopped what he was doing, thinking.

"Excalibur" he finally said. Arthur nodded.

"Excalibur" he repeated. "sounds very noble" he admitted.

"Noble sword for a noble king" Merlin replied. Arthur looked up at him then, the corner of his mouth tugging into a smile.

"Why thank you Merlin" he said.

"You're welcome, when we find a noble king let me know and we can let him have it" Merlin replied grinning again. Arthur's eyes went wide and he pointed the sword at him.

"I can of course make you sleep out there if you'd like" he said, gesturing to the rain in mock annoyance.

"Okay, you have a point" Merlin said. Arthur smiled at his small victory, glad for the banter. Merlin went back to preparing dinner for them and finally handed a bowl to Arthur, before taking one for himself. The rain outside, if anything had intensified. They ate in silence, Arthur's thoughts turning to his queen, who would no doubt be fretting that her Husband and friend were out in this somewhere, smiling at the thought. Merlin however busied himself with cleaning the bowls, before he settled on the hard dirt of the cave floor, leaning against the wall. Arthur watching him as Merlin slowly drifted off to sleep. It amazed him how easily Merlin could fall asleep practically anywhere, but Merlin's actions had a point. They weren't going anywhere tonight. So slowly he lay himself down, closing his eyes.

* * *

><p>"<em>Arthur"<em> the voice was a whisper on the wind, Arthur jolting awake at the sound. He sat up, looking around. The fire was still going strong, and the rain was still pouring outside. He looked over at Merlin, the servant was on his side curled into a little ball facing the wall as he slept. Arthur listened, feeling the wind from outside brushing his face. He shook his head, the quietly stood.

"_Arthur"_ the voice again. He spun around, looking for someone, anyone to be speaking. He briefly entertained the thought it was Merlin playing one of his pranks, but although Merlin could be a girl at times, he certainly didn't sound like one. And the voice had been a woman's voice.

"Hello?" he whispered.

"_Here Arthur"_ it sounded from the back of the cave. Slowly Arthur picked up Excalibur. _"you need no weapons Arthur, I will not harm you"_ the voice whispered. Arthur rolled his eyes, holstering the sword to himself anyway. He might be many things, but he wasn't an idiot. He picked up on of the burning logs from the fire, and turning, made his way towards the back of the cave.

* * *

><p>The torch flickered as it cast shadows around him as he moved, leaving the part of the cave where Merlin slept, into a small passage and out into an even bigger cavern. There was a small lake in the centre of it, it's still waters clear as glass.<p>

"Hello?" he called out again. And jumped as a hand placed itself on his shoulder. He whipped around, hand of the hilt of his sword, eyes wide, then he felt panic.

"Hello my son" Said Ygraine, as she smiled at him.

"What…." He breathed.

Ygraine smiled at Arthur, gesturing to the cave around him.

"The spirit cavern" she said. "A place where the deceased may come briefly when they wish to interact with the world"

"This is a lie" Arthur said.

"I know that is how you feel, when Morgause showed me to you, that was a lie. I wanted so much to interfere, to tell you what was happening, but the wards she had placed were too powerful" Ygraine told him softly. "But when I felt you here, in the cave. I had to see you, to tell you how proud I am of you" she said.

"How comes I've never heard of this place then?" Arthur demanded, still weary.

"This place was hidden so many years ago, less… your father defiled it" she said. "Few remember its name, fewer still remember its location" she explained.

"Why did you call me?" he asked. Ygraine smiled at him.

"As I said, I need to see you, to see the man my son has grown into, to tell you how proud I am of you" she said, then her face fell. "And to warn you" she added.

"Warn me? Of what?" Arthur asked.

"You are going to be betrayed my son, by someone you hold close to your heart"

"Too late, Morgana already did that" he said. Ygraine shook her head.

"Morgana's downfall was a tragedy, but I speak not of her"

"Then who?"

"I speak of he who has faithfully served you for many years" she said.

"Gaius? he'd never betray me"

"No, Gaius is loyal and always will be loyal to you. But that loyalty will soon be tested. I speak of his ward. I speak of Merlin" she said.

"Merlin?" Arthur choked back a laugh. "He's many things ghost, but he is no traitor" Arthur said.

"I know that is how you feel, but if nothing else, watch him, watch him closely" she pleaded, "For he, more than anyone has lied to you, deceived you for many years" she said.

"I don't believe you" Arthur said.

"I know my son, and if you could feel the hurt it causes me to tell you of this-" she looked up and around the cavern. "-but I have stayed too long already, please, do as I ask, I love you my son" she said, as she began to fade. Arthur instinctively reaching out.

"Wait!" he yelled.

"In the pool, the dagger, it is the only way to save your friend, to take the darkness from him" she said, as she faded to nothing. Arthur blinking at the empty air. Slowly he walked forwards, looking down into the pool, it wasn't deep, not at all. And as Ygraine had said, at the bottom of the pool was a large dagger. He reached forwards, slowly. Pulling back, his mind whirling with possibilities, with emotions.

Merlin was his friend.

Ygraine was his mother.

Slowly he reached in, pulling the dagger from the pool. He turned it over in his hand. It felt cold to his touch, icy even. He rubbed a finger across the blade, wincing as it cut flesh. He put the wound to his mouth, then staggered slightly. His eyes glowing red for the briefest of moments. He shook his head, then turned leaving the cavern.

* * *

><p>Across from him, in the shadows, A woman with blood red lips watched as Arthur left, her dark hair cascading down her back, her blue eyes full of malice.<p>

"Far too easy" Nimueh muttered.

* * *

><p>"There you are" said Merlin as Arthur walked back into the front of the cavern. Eyes wide as he moved towards him.<p>

"Worried about me were you?" Arthur asked.

"Well yes" Merlin said.

"Merlin, as touching as your dedication is, there are some things that a king must keep private, like peeing" Arthur said. Merlin scrunched his face up.

"Okay, I'll give you that" he said. He expected Arthur to chuckle or something, instead he moved past Merlin and sat down by the wall, looking out into the rain soaked darkness. Merlin sitting down where he had been, warming his hands on the fire.

"Merlin" Arthur said.

"Yes?"

"How well do I know you, really I mean?" Arthur asked. Merlin frowned and shrugged.

"Better then most people I think, why?"

"And you don't have any secrets from me right? Us being friends and all?" he added.

"I have some, but…. Arthur what's this about?" Merlin asked.

"I've been thinking, a lot actually, about how well I know people that I trust the most. And of everyone Merlin, you. Your still an enigma to me most of the times. Servant boy, wise man, goofy, yet sometimes graceful. There are so many sides to you, and I never know which one to trust"

"They're all part of me" said Merlin moving over to him. "I'm not strong, I'm not clever, but I try to do what's best" he said.

"And that's what worries me sometimes. The way you look, I've seen you animated, I've seen you closed off. And I've seen you with the look on your face that you have killed" Arthur said.

"Arthur I've never-"

"Agravane, he never returned from chasing us. Why is that?" Arthur cut in. Merlin looked away.

"I don't know, maybe he figured with Morgana out of the picture he'd best stay away" Merlin offered. Arthur watched his face. Suddenly he grabbed Merlin.

"LIAR!" he roared at him. Merlin pulled back, or tried to at any rate, Merlin flinching as Arthur pulled a dagger free from his belt, one Merlin had never seen before.

"Arthur what are you doing?" Merlin asked, his voice soft.

"Finally growing up it seems" Arthur spat.

"Okay, I have secrets Arthur but you can't know them, not yet!" Merlin said, then his eyes went wide.

"Arthur your eyes" he said, for they were glowing a dark red. "Arthur whatever this is you need to fight it!" Merlin struggled. Arthur leant close to Merlin.

"No, Merlin. I need to deal with yet another traitor it seems" he hissed. Merlin's eyes went wide as he felt the dagger enter his chest, the look of shock on his face, of hurt and sorrow.

"Arthur?" he gasped looking down at the dagger even as Arthur pulled it free. Arthur was sweating, his eyes back to normal. His features blank. Slowly Arthur stood, even as Merlin toppled onto his side.

"Why?" Merlin asked. Arthur, said nothing in response, instead he turned and walked away from his dying friend, out into the rain. Behind him Merlin watched for one more moment, then fell still, Arthur dropping the dagger onto the mud, as he untied the horses and mounted, before riding away.

* * *

><p>Nimueh stepped forwards, kneeling by Merlin, stroking his hair softly.<p>

"Such a pity" she said, turning him over, looking at the wound in his chest. "But you, my dear Emry's. You're task is far from over" she said, placing a glowing hand on the wound, not closing it, but forcing the young warlock to cling to life while the daggers true purpose worked through his body. Satisfied that he was not about to die, she stood.

"You have no idea of the pain you caused me, the pain of spending endless amount's of magic rebuilding my physical form, just so I could witness this glorious day. And you, Merlin, you are going to be the ultimate tool of my vengeance" she said. Then she looked back the way Arthur had gone.

"And you, Arthur, have no idea of what you have just set in motion" she said, then with a laugh she vanished.

* * *

><p>"The king has returned my lady" Gwen looked up from where she was sitting.<p>

"Thank you Leon" she replied, standing. Leon bowed and left the room as Gwen watched the door. A moment later Arthur walked in, pulling her to an embrace.

"you're cold" she said with a smile.

"I'll be fine" he replied, removing his soaked tunic and tossing it over the back of the chair.

"How was the investigation?" she asked.

"Nothing, if Brayard was sending his troops over the border, I saw no sigh of it" he said. Gwen nodded, pleased as Arthur sat on the bed, taking his boots off.

"Finally a nice warm bed" he muttered. Gwen chuckled at him, then looked at the door as it opened, and a servant entered carrying Gwen's lunch. She placed it on the table and then left quietly. Arthur sitting up and taking an apple.

"Merlin will have yours up here in a minute, don't be greedy" she said. Arthur paused, blinking.

"Merlin" he muttered. Gwen looked at him.

"Your servant, you know, goofy grins, all arms and legs?" she said. Arthur looked at her, mouth open.

"No…" he said. Gwen suddenly became very concerned.

"Arthur. Where is Merlin?" she asked. Arthur did the last thing she expected at the point. He began to cry.

"Arthur!" she said, taking his hand.

"no no no no no no no no" he muttered over and over. He looked at Gwen, and she pulled away as his eyes went red for just a moment before fading to normal.

"What have I done Gwen. Oh my gods. What have I done?" he asked as he broke down.

* * *

><p>"We should make Camelot before nightfall I hope" said the old man, as his granddaughter led him safely through the forest.<p>

"Grandfather, you need rest" she replied.

"nonsense my child, I'm fit as a fiddle thank you very much" he replied. His granddaughter rolled her eyes, but smiled.

"You think I'll be able to find work there?" she asked him.

"We can but try, and if not we'll just go on to the next kingdom" he said to her. She smiled at him nodding.

"Help please" the voice was soft, pained. The two stopped, looking around.

"what in the world?" the Grandfather asked, looking around.

"There!" his granddaughter said pointing at the form of a man, his head was lolled to the side, his raven black hair caked with dirt, and he was pale.

"Stay here" the grandfather whispered to his granddaughter.

"But-"

"Just stay here, I'll be but a moment" he said, moving over to the man. He knelt down, turning the man over.

"Good lord what happened to you?" he asked, looking at the wound on his chest. The man on the ground opened his eyes, they were a light blue, and he smiled up at him.

"Thank you" he whispered.

"Easy my lad, we'll have you sorted in a second"

"It's okay, I don't need bandages" he whispered.

"I really think you do" the old man replied. The young man smiled, then with a sudden force his hand shot up, gripping the old man around the throat.

"Just need you" the man replied, the old man gagging, even as his body began to age, the man on the floor's eyes glowing.

"Grandfather!" screamed the girl as the man on the floor dropped the corpse, before sitting up. He looked at the girl, then smiled as he stood. She took one look at her grandfather's corpse, then turned and ran, going as fast as could, even as tears streamed down her face.

Behind her Merlin began to give chase…


	2. Chapter 2

Gwen looked up at Gaius as he tended to the silent King. After his brief breakdown, he had become very, very quiet. Gaius nodded at her and she stood, the two walking away from the bed, to stand in the doorway of the chamber where they could talk, uninterrupted.

"Physically, the King is fine" Gaius explained. "Mentally however, is a different matter. He's withdrawn into himself, whatever happened out there has traumatised him greatly" Gaius explained.

"Is there nothing we can do?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

"Unfortunately the body is easy to heal, the mind, that is something else entirely. I'm afraid that until we can discern what has caused this, then the King will remain like this" Gaius said. He then took a deep breath, looking back over at Arthur, who was turned away from them, staring out of the window.

"And he told you nothing?" said Gaius.

"I asked him where Merlin was, then he started crying" Gwen said, "He did however ask 'what have I done'" she quoted. Gaius nodded at her, blinking.

"Well at least we know it has something to do with Merlin" Gaius admitted. Gwen nodded.

"Gaius, what do I do? I'm not ready to try running the kingdom" she said. Gaius smiled and put his hand on her arm.

"What do your thoughts tell you?" he asked.

"That I should send out a search party for Merlin" she said. Gaius nodded at her.

"That would be a very good beginning, once we find Merlin we can work out what has so distressed the king" he said. Gwen nodded and looked back at Arthur.

"I'll see to it" she said. "You'll stay with him?" she said. Gaius nodded.

"I promise I will not leave his side" Gaius told her. Gwen nodded, then moved past him, out of the chamber.

* * *

><p>The young woman ran for all she was worth, away from her grandfathers killer, tears still streamed down her face, and twice she had nearly tripped, but she was growing weary, her legs were aching, and she could hear the twigs cracking on the ground behind her as the man, no, the monster gained on her. She looked back, catching a glimpse of him as he followed her, no emotion showing on his face. She turned back and stopped as she came to a rocky wall, pressing herself up against it, watching as the man stopped to look at her.<p>

"Why won't you leave me alone!" she screamed. The man blinked, looked away for a second.

"I'm sorry, I have to" he said, sounding as if he honestly meant it. "I don't want to, but it hurts. It hurts so much" he said, as he began to advance. The girl began to sob again, turning to face the wall, finding no way up it, knowing that she would not be able to even if she tried. She turned back again to see the man standing about three feet away.

"I truly am sorry" he said, reaching out to her. The girl screamed, then her eyes went wide as the man went flying through the air to land several paces away from her. She looked around, seeing nothing that could have done this. Then there was a voice from above.

"Run girl!" the voice commanded. She looked up seeing a beautiful dark haired woman standing above her, looking down. The girl needed no prompting, instead she turned in the direction the woman was pointing and ran.

Merlin slowly sat up, looking around for the girl he'd been chasing, finding nothing. Then he realised that try as he might, he could not stand. Slowly he looked up as a shadow fell across him.

"Well, I have to say I never expected something like this" said Morgana looking down at him. If Merlin recognised her, he gave no sign of it.

"Help me" he pleaded. Morgana's expression changing ever so slightly at the hurt in Merlin's voice.

"What happened to you?" she whispered. Merlin looked away from her, then back up at her.

"Please. Help me" he said again. Morgana knelt down, feeling somehow touched by emotion in his voice, then she saw the blood on his tunic, and gently pulled it open slightly to see the wound there on his chest. Its positioning, and the blood caked around it… by all rights Merlin should have been long dead, instead here he was, powerless before her, pleading to one of his greatest enemies for aid. A part of her, a big part, she admitted to herself, wanted to leave him here, to let him fend for himself, but another part, a part of her that had found pleasure in saving the girl also cried out. Slowly she reached out, careful only to touch his arm which was covered by his tunic and helped him to stand.

"God only knows why Merlin, but I will do what I can" she said.

"Merlin?" he said softly. "Is that me?" he asked her. Morgana looked back at him, quizzically.

"You don't remember?" she asked. Merlin shook his head at her sadly.

* * *

><p>Leon, Percival and Elyan slowly dismounted from their horses, looking around the forest. Before they'd left Arthur had informed them of where he and Merlin were headed, so finding the spot hadn't been difficult. The sun was low in the sky, and darkness was beginning to encroach.<p>

"Spread out, look for any signs of a struggle" Leon ordered. Elyan and Percival nodded and began to search the area, Leon heading towards a cave, while Percival went towards a small clearing and Elyan the forest. Leon slowly looked around, then frowned, kneeling down, seeing the hilt of a weapon half buried in the mud near a tree. Slowly he dug it out, pulling a dagger free, shivering at how cold it was.

"Leon!" He looked up as Percival called out to him, and stood, putting the dagger into his belt, before moving over to the large knight. He stopped short at seeing what Percival had found. The corpse was dry, the skin parched as though the moisture had been drained from it. But the clothing was not frayed in the least, in fact, it appeared the clothing was untouched. Slowly Leon knelt down, pulling a small bag free. He opened it seeing a few coins contained in it.

"Well, that rules out theft" he said, looking up as Elyan joined them. "anything?" he asked Elyan.

"There's some tracks, heading east" he said, looking at the corpse. "No sign of Merlin" he finished. Leon sighed and stood up.

"We'll see how far we can follow the tracks then" he said. "While there's still light enough to do so" he added.

"What happened to…" Elyan asked, gesturing at the corpse. Leon shook his head. "I don't know" he admitted, putting the bag of coins back down by the corpse, no way would he ever steal from the dead.

"Are we just going to leave him there?" asked Percival.

"I think this poor fellow is beyond even Gaius's help" Leon said. The others looked down then slowly nodded.

"Come on" Leon said, leading the men away towards the horses, where they untied them, guiding them as they began to follow the tracks Elyan had found. As soon as they were out of sight, the corpses desiccated fingers began to move and slowly it looked up the way they had gone, it's sunken eyes pleading.

"Help me" it whispered.

* * *

><p>"You know Merlin, the last time you were here I had to treat a wound on you. This is becoming a habit" Morgana said as she gently wiped the wound on Merlin's chest. She'd had to remove his tunic to do so properly, but Merlin gave no indication he even heard her. He was once again hung from her ceiling, arms tied to the beam above him, also just like last time. She gently wiped away the last of the blood, showing the wound on his chest. But Merlin remained silent as she worked, his head resting on his arm. Slowly she stepped back, surveying her handiwork.<p>

"There, at least it's clean" she said, turning away. When he didn't reply she sighed and walked away. Slowly Merlin turned his gaze to follow her. She paused, turning back, to see him staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Help me" he said, his fingers moving above him as if trying to get free.

"I am helping you" she said. Merlin shook his head.

"Hungry" he said, his breathing was becoming fast, his chest rising and falling, even as he began to twist in his bonds. Morgana picked up an apple and approached him, but he shook his head.

"Need you" he said. Morgana blinked, the statement was wrong on so many levels, but the tone he had said the words in implied anything but what had immediately crossed her mind.

"Merlin, what do you need me for?" she asked, putting the apple down.

"To stop the pain... to feed" he said. Morgana slowly turned away, from him, aware of his gaze on her the entire time.

* * *

><p>"We followed the trail to the southern ledge, then there were two sets of tracks, one set going east, the other set west" reported Leon. Gwen nodded as she listened to the report.<p>

"There was no sign of Merlin" he admitted.

"We did find the body of man" Elyan said stepping forwards, "but he must have been there for several days, a few weeks or more the state he was in" he added. Leon nodded, then pulled out the dagger he'd found in the mud.

"There was also this" he said, holding it out. Gwen took it and shivered.

"It's freezing" she said as she held it. Leon nodded in agreement as she handed it to Gaius. the man took it, turning it over a few times in his hand.

"Gaius?" Gwen asked as he examined it.

"Apart from the etchings, and the fact it is icy to the touch, it appears to be a simple, ordinary dagger" Gaius said. "However I will research the markings on it, just in case" he said. Gwen nodded at him, then looked away.

"Should we show it to Arthur?" she asked. Gaius looked at her, then back at the dagger.

"We can try" he said. Gwen nodded and stood, dismissing the knights and leading Gaius from the audience chamber.

* * *

><p>"Come on Ben, get those logs in will ya!" the woman's voice called from the window of the house, where she was looking out at her son, who was out front, cutting logs so the village would not need to venture far when winter hit.<p>

"I've just got a couple more to do" he called back. The woman shook her head.

"Well hurry up, supper's getting cold!" she called back. Ben nodded as he placed another log onto the wooden stump, before picking up the axe he was using to chop them. He brought it up over his head, chopping down, splitting the log in two. He placed the axe down, moving the logs he'd cut onto the growing pile of the ones he'd already seen to. Wiping sweat from his forehead he picked up another log, then paused.

"Help me" the voice was pleading, sounding pained. Ben turned, scanning the nearby trees, before slowly picking up the axe.

"Hello?" he called out, stepping forwards slowly, something in the back of his mind telling him to just go inside.

"Help me, please" the voice again, from his left. He turned, seeing a figure stumbling out of the trees, towards him, shadowed in darkness.

"Are you alright?" asked Ben as the figure approached. The man made no reply, instead he reached forwards and gripped Ben's wrist. Ben tried to pull away, the feel of the skin was wrong, too dry. Then he began to gag, the man refusing to let go. Ben falling to his knees, the life leaving him even as his skin began to shrivel. Eventually the man let go, ben toppling to his side, eyes sunken, skin taunt.

* * *

><p>Ben's mother moved to the window again, looking outside.<p>

"For crying out loud boy, dinner's getting cold!" she called out, then frowned. The front of the house was silent, a lone uncut log sitting on the tree stump. But of Ben there was no sign. Slowly she opened the door, walking out into the darkness.

"Ben?" she called out, looking around. "Ben this isn't funny!" she yelled. Then turned seeing movement off to her left.

"What do you think you're playing at?" she snapped.

"Help me" Ben said, reaching out to her.

"Help me" a voice she didn't know, moving up to her side. The scream she gave as two pairs of hands grabbed her was mercifully short.

* * *

><p>"Arthur" Gwen's gentle voice reached him as she sat beside him on the bed. Arthur heard her, but could not look at her.<p>

"Arthur, I don't know if you can hear me, but I need you to do something for me. I need you to look at this" she said gently. Gaius handed her the dagger and she slowly held it in front of him. Arthur's eyes went wide and he pulled away from it, falling from the bed, scrambling across the floor. Gwen looked at Gaius, concerned and handed him the dagger, even as she rushed to him.

"No no no no no!" he roared. "Get it away!"

"Arthur what is it. What happened?" she said.

"No…" he said, crying again. "I didn't mean it. I tried. I wanted to stop!"

"Arthur what happened?" Gwen asked him gently. Arthur looked up at her then, his eyes, frightened and lost.

"In the cave. I saw her, my mother, she said he was going to betray me. Told me to use the dagger, to stop him" his words coming fast.

"What did you do?" asked Gwen softly.

"I stabbed him. I killed Merlin" he said. Behind her, she heard the clatter of the dagger as it fell from Gaius's hand.

* * *

><p>Morgana was in hell, Merlin was no longer pleading with her, he was struggling against his bonds tightly, screaming.<p>

"Merlin stop!" she yelled.

"It hurts!" he roared at her, above him splinters of wood began to fall and there was a cracking noise. Morgana looked up to see the beam was slowly beginning to crack from his struggles.

* * *

><p>And not far away, the village of the dead began to march towards Camelot. From her vantage point Nimueh watched as they stumbled forwards, smiling.<p>

"And thus hell shall come to Camelot" she said to herself.

* * *

><p>"Gaius get that thing out of here!" Gwen yelled. Beside her, Arthur continued to shake as the entire scene from back at the cave came to wicked life in his mind. Gaius retrieved the dagger and moved to the door.<p>

"Make sure this it taken to my chambers, and for god's sake don't cut yourself with it!" he said, handing the Dagger to a guard, before he moved back into the room.

"It's okay Arthur, its gone" Gwen said. Arthur however had already completely withdrawn into himself.

* * *

><p>"MERLIN STOP!" Morgana yelled, even as the beam cracked again, She glanced at it, her eyes glowing yellow, trying to reinforce it, but already it was too late, the beam splintered and Merlin was free. He moved towards her.<p>

"I'm sorry" he said. Morgana stepped back, then grabbed a pot from behind her. Merlin was almost at her now, and without thinking she swung it around, it collided with his head and he fell back, blood trickling from the wound she'd just inflicted on him. Her eyes wide, her mouth open she slowly stepped forwards, looking down at him. She quickly ran towards the door, then paused. Outside she could hear people shuffling past.

"Help me" the voices were pained, and she closed her eyes. Suddenly she blinked, turning, seeing Merlin standing up behind her.

"Help me" he said. Outside the words were echoed. Hating herself, she did the only thing she could without outright killing him. She teleported away. Merlin staggered forwards, catching nothing but air. Breathing heavily, he opened the door, stepping out, the corpses outside looking at him. Sensing him as one of their own. Merlin looked at them, then stepped forwards, taking the lead. Not even aware of the tears that were falling from his eyes.


End file.
